The Black Abyss of Time
by raingirl777
Summary: This story takes place during my other story, FullMetal Alchemist: The Next Generation. Please read that if you have not done so. Son of Edward, Nicholas Elric, has awoken in an unfamiliar household belonging to Central citizens, Angela and Richard. Getting along with them proved to be easy, but something is wrong... Did the newspaper writers make a mistake with the date? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

*Note: This story takes place during my other story, _**FullMetal Alchemist: The Next Generation**_,__so please read that story before this. :)

Unlike my other story, this one will not be only third person. It will vary depending on the scene.

I do not own FMA! sadly...

***xxxXxxx***

The first thing I saw when I awoke was a tan cieling. Moments before I had been in a warehouse/ base of people wishing to overthrow the Amestrian military. The last thing I remember before I blacked out was my father screaming my name. Even though I disliked my father for abandoning my sister and I, I also hated the soldiers for dragging him and uncle Al away. So why was I trying to help them? To save the country from complete, utter domination? Yeah, that was probably it... So why am lying here in an unfamiliar bed while my only family left is out fighting to protect me?

Atlast I looked around at my surroundings. The room was tidy and normal looking, nothing like the torture chamber I had imagined it would be. What had happened to William and the others? A thought struck me all of a sudden. They could be nearby! Discarding my thoughts of being captured, I threw off the sheets covering me, scurried to the door, opened it slightly, and peered through. No one was there. This was my chance to find my comrades and escape. I became very aware of the danger I was in while I looked in each room. Each one appeared to be empty. Where could they be? It kept invading my mind and gave me a splitting headache if I thought about it too hard.

"I see you're awake."

My insides jerked. I had been spotted! Someone had been behind me for god knows how long and I never noticed. I could have been killed... I looked back at them. What I saw surprised me... It was only a girl. She had to be around ten. At the moment, she was holding a notebook and a few pens. Without thinking, I snatched the pad from her arms and quickly attempted to write down my questions. I had so much I wanted to ask. Where would I start? Every few seconds I glanced up at her face. She was looking perplexed and also... frustrated? Well, I don't blame her, but she will just have to understand. Holding up the notebook, I allowed her to read it.

'Who are you and where am I?'

"Oh you are... You cannot speak?" I shook my head quickly. "My name is Angela. You're at my house in Central." I need not ask anymore because she went on telling me all I needed to know. "Father and I were on an evening stroll a week ago. We happened upon an alley and found you there. I thought you must have been in a fight judging by your appearance..." Her voice drawed out. "You weren't, were you?"

The look she gave me was a sad, innocent face. I shook my head to say "no" and she released a sigh of relief.

"Good."

Both of us remained silent for a few minutes. I stared at her as she smiled, blushed, and became fascinated with her own feet. Suddenly my stomach growled. Of course it just had to ruin the moment. I mentally slapped myself out of embarassment. She now looked at me.

"Oh, that's right. You're probably starving. Come with me."

She grabbed my hand and slowly dragged me to a quaint, little kitchen. The soft yellow walls gave it a warm, homey feel. A newspaper lay on the tabletop. Angela sat me down then proceeded in making me a cup of tea along with fetching a few snacks. Once she sat down and handed me my cup, I mouthed a thank you. She smiled. Another blush appeared. I rubbed the back of my neck. For first time I noticed I didn't have my cloak on. After I drank my tea, I would ask her what she did with it.

"What's your name?"

I looked up at her then grabbed the pad once more.

'Nicholas Elric.'

"Elric? As in the FullMetal Alchemist?" She suddenly became excited and stood up. There was a gleam in her eye.

I quickly wrote, 'No. I just have the same last name.'

I would leave it at that. I didn't want to tell her that he was my father just yet... A look of disappointed washed over her features and she plopped back down in her chair. I took a sip of my tea and looked over at the newspaper. Noticing the cover, I choked. Quickly I grabbed it from the table and stared at the heading. No matter what, I could not breathe. In the process, I had dropped my cup. It had shattered on the white, tile floor and had made a mess. Too entranced with the heading, I forgot about the tea instantly. Angela had stood again and began asking me what was wrong. The date read not 1936, but 1915...

***xxxXxxx***

This was the story I first came up with before FMA: The next generation. I have always wanted to type this and I am so happy I am able to do so! :D Anyways I hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to leave plenty of REVIEWS!

~Raingirl777


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own FMA. :(

***xxxXxxx***

_'The newspaper staff __had __to have made a mistake. There is no way that can be the actual year.' _These thoughts ran through my mind as I looked the article over once more. The heading read: Isaac McDougal Charged for Military Assault. Where had I heard that name before? It hit me. He had been one of the criminals that my father and uncle helped bring down. So it was true... I was in the past. How had traveled here? Was it from that odd room in that society's base?

"What's wrong? Answer me, Nick!"

I looked up to see Angela. She was right next to my face and displayed a worried expression. I shook my head as if telling her to forget it.

"Don't you tell me nothing is wrong. Your reaction proves it."

No matter what, I would not answer her question. She soon became frustrated and left me sitting in her kitchen. I could not tell anyone about this even if I wanted to. Looking back to the article, I read on. I caught sight of Mr. Mustang's name along with Al's and dad's. Then I saw a picture that shocked me. It was my father and uncle, except they were younger and odd looking. For one, Alphonse was in a large suit of armor while my dad was incredibly short and looked almost exactly like myself. I dropped the paper at that. Mom always told me we could be twins, but I never believed her. She was right. Cut his hair and magically grow him a foot and he would be my clone. **(Ed's perfect dream!)** Or would that be the other way around since he was born first? I quickly forgot about it and left Angela's house, but not before finding my cloak on the jacket holder next to the door.

Outside it appeared to be the same Central I had come to know and love, but it wasn't the same. I had to remind myself that this was before my life time. Al had to be... almost fifteen and dad sixteen? **(I don't know if this is right, but please bear with me. -_-...) **Wait. If dad was almost sixteen, how is he so short? That had me thinking for a great amount of time. **(Lol! XD) **Oh well, that didn't matter at the moment. I had to find someone who could help with my dilemma and quick. There was only one problem. Dad and Alphonse were the only people who probably knew about that complicated stuff. There was probably more people who knew, but I had no clue who. Plus I had no authority in this time to look for people involving strange phenomenons with alchemy. There was no other choice. I had to confront my father and uncle as their teenage selves. What I was about to do could alter history and ruin time as we know it, but it couldn't be helped. I would at least try and hide my face sufficently so that I could protect my family.

My hand stopped. I couldn't do it, but I had to. In order to be in my own time I would have to knock on my uncle's and father's hotel door. From a few locals I had managed to find out where they would be staying this evening. Of course I had to play the part of an eager tourist, which kinda scared a few nearby children. Apparently they thought I would be scary from my appearance.

Gathering up my courage, I knocked a few times on the solid oak. Dad answered the door and gave me a once over.

"What's up with the clothes? Is there a funeral?"

I rolled my eyes. I knew my father was sarcastic, but it now clearly pissed me off. I held up my notebook.

'My name is Nicholas. I wish to talk with you. It has nothing to with military so please do not inform them of my circumstances.'

He furrowed his brow. "Okay. Whatever..."

He allowed me inside cautiously. Alphonse looked up from the papers he had been reading.

"Oh hello. Who is this?"

"No clue. He just showed up on our doorstep. Says his name is Nick." Edward sat down and crossed his arms. "You said you wanted nothing to do with the military? What? Have a juicy secret you want no one to find out about?"

He smirked as I flinched. He was spot on and I just had to take it. Looking at the ground, I nodded. I looked up and saw him raise his eyebrows in interest.

"Okay what do you want with me and my brother?"

I explained to them all about my situation. By the time I was done, their jaws had dropped. Or at least Ed's did. I'm just guessing Alphonse was doing it in his mind.

"Y You're from the... future?" Al asked hesitantly.

I nodded. They continued to stare at me for a few more minutes. What would they say? Would they think I was crazy? They would probably throw me out once they stopped staring at me. Edward stood up and walked over to me. Placing his hand on my shoulder, he gave me a serious look.

"You have nothing to worry about. We'll help you." With that he smiled.

***xxxXxxx***

So how was it? Hopefully not completely horrible, right? Anyways please review! So far I haven't had any at all. Please help me by reviewing!

~raingirl777


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Full Metal Alchemist!

***xxxXxxx***

The next morning I awoke with my head in a fog. Sitting up, I yawned and prepared to leave. Before doing so, I held up my slump body against the door frame. It escaped my mind that I was not wearing my daily attire, but a borrowed pair of pajamas instead... My uncle's teenage voice reached my ears. That caused me to fully wake up and realize that I could **NOT **be seen. 'Whew. That was close.' True, it was indeed close. Quietly I snuck back to my room and dressed.

In the living area, I spotted Dad and Al sitting as they discussed important matters on the philosopher's stone. They had no idea what they would accomplish in only a short amount of years. Soon they would be back to normal and Alphonse would marry Mai while Edward would do the same with my mother. It seemed like a nice thought, but I had to remind myself that there is no happy ending. Ed finally noticed I was there and motioned for me to come over to them.

"We're leaving. Do you mind coming with us? It's a pain, but we have to talk to the colonel bastard." He shrugged in a dramatic sense.

"Brother, you shouldn't call your superiors such things!"

"Don't worry, Alphonse. I'm simply stating the obvious… Even though we have to kiss their ass, I'm not happy about it and I don't mind letting them know what I think."

Alphonse only sighed as result of his brother's answer. I laughed inside of my head. Now I know where all of our stubbornness comes from. A few minutes after our breakfast, the three of us made our way to Central headquarters. I had guessed who we were going to visit… My suspicions appeared correct.

A plain, white room met my eyes. The space was occupied by several people. Some of them I knew personally and others I had seen with older faces. I pointed Ms. Riza and Mr. Mustang out almost immediately. Unlike our time, the stuck up yet perverted superior of mine wasn't flirting with his future wife. If I looked closely, I could tell something else was off. The patch covered eye I was used to seeing was now gone and a ordinary one remained. So he hadn't lost it yet... Interesting.

Then something hit me. I do not know why it took me this long to realize it. Why were we going to Roy? Dad had promised that we would not involve the military, so why? Had he lied?

My thoughts were interrupted by a new presence appearing. He seemed to be young and did not have a uniform on but a ratty jacket instead. Looking to me, he gasped. Could it be? No, that was impossible... He wasn't that stupid. The stranger quickly removed his hood while turning to Roy. Apparently he **was** **that stupid**.

"Excuse me but I need to discuss something with you." Will Mustang told his future father.

I mentally face-palmed. Moving quickly, I grabbed his arm and dragged my idiotic friend out of there. Anger consumed me as I stared him down. He continued to give me a confused look. I wanted to bash his head in for his actions.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

I gripped his jacket tightly.

"You really are an idiot! You exposed your face right infront of him without even considering the consequences! Damnit, Will. Think before you do something!"

He just stared at me, shocked out of his wits. Will had a hard time speaking. Like a fish, his mouth opened and closed without muttering a word.

"What?" I demanded.

I was clearly pissed off at him. He could tell... He pointed at me.

"You're talking. You're actually talking... My dad is younger and not married to my mother. Along with that my mute best friend is talking... AM I GOING INSANE!?"

He fell to his knees and began to have a mental breakdown. I tried to calm him down and explain to him what was happening. His words did get to me. I could speak, but how is that possible? I thought on this for a moment.

"Don't you get it, Will? Our own existence is having an effect. Things are changing. That's why we need to get home as soon as possible."

Although he was pale, William nodded at my theory.

***xxxXxxx***

:) I think it's been exactly a month since I last posted. Of course I wanted to upload another chapter sooner, but you've probably figured out that that is a lost cause... Hope you liked it! Review! :3

~Raingirl777


	4. Chapter 4

Sadly, I do not own FMA…

***xxxXxxx***

"Hey! What is going on?" Alphonse ran along with my father towards us. I sighed and looked down at William. He had fallen to the floor in his confusion and was now trying to return to breathing normally. For a minute, I believed he was beginning to hyperventilate.

Once again, I focused on my relatives as I said, "Nothing. This boy is my friend. His name is William. Just before, he was about to say something that would jeopardize the future. Believe me, it surprises even me how stupid he can be."

"I thought you were a mute, Nick." Edward glared at me.

"I _was…_" I took a glance at my feet then quickly whipped my head back up to him. "Me and Will shouldn't be here. Everything is changing." I sighed. William came up from behind me and patted my back like what happened a minute ago never occurred.

"Kids our age shouldn't be such worry warts, so let off some steam once in a while, Nikki." The look on his face and what he just said really pissed me off. Without thinking, I jabbed him in the side. He yelped in pain, and I could not help but chuckle on the inside.

Looking at me, he glared and pointed at me accusingly. Steam poured out of his ears in rage.

"What was that for!?" Again, I sighed then walked away. He ran after me shouting, "Hey! You never answered my question!" With that, I did let myself laugh but only loud enough for my only my ears to hear.

(Third person POV)

***xxxXxxx***

The four of them had been together for quite some time now. Two weeks to be precise. Edward and Alphonse kept their promise and never uttered a single word to the military. Nicholas had no such luck as to figure out a way to go home, and William with his idiotic and rude behavior was no help.

This particular evening was cloudy and dark which represented the atmosphere of the hotel room perfectly. Edward and his brother sat on the cream couch in the middle of the room while looking over various alchemical notes. Across from them, sat Nicholas doing the exact same thing. In the corner, William sat on a stool and spun around. It was dead silent and William kept throwing paper wads at Nick's head.

"Would you stop that; please?" Will did as he was told and turned around. A few minutes later, the mellow teen was once again being hit in the head, but this time it was paper airplanes. Nick began to shake in rage then jerked his head at the supposed "block head". "I thought I asked you to stop throwing things at my head!"

"But that was with paper wads!" He puffed out his cheeks like a child.

"I meant any form of paper!" William crossed his arms and frowned.

"Well, you didn't specify!" The hooded adolescent groaned while face palming.

"Will, if you are so bored that you have the spare time to make paper airplanes, then would you please make yourself useful by helping us research?" Will held his arms up in surrender.

"Fine; I'll do it!" He plopped himself down next to Nick. After a few minutes of looking over papers, William placed them on his lap. "Hey. I just thought of something. What do you think happened to your dad and uncle?" Nick groaned.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that." This gathered Ed and Al's attention.

Alphonse was the first to speak up. "You mean to say that you're not the only ones who are in this predicament?" Nick continued to rub his face as he replied.

"Two of my relatives came along with us. Problem is we have no idea where they would be!" William frowned.

"Well, I would think they would be somewhere around here. I mean, they used to work here." Edward's eyes widened.

"Really? Maybe we know them. What are their names?" Will was about to answer, but Nicholas beat him to it.

"Sorry, but I'm not allowed to tell you that. If you knew them somehow, it could ruin not only our futures, but your futures as well." 'They should believe that…' Nick thought inwardly. Ed nodded his head.

"I guess that makes sense…" He looked over to his brother. "But it is sorta disappointing." Al agreed. "So if we don't know their names, how are we supposed to find them?"

"We know what they look like."

"Of course, but there is also the possibility that they could be in disguise."

"That… is true." All of them sighed in defeat.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

"~~Edward, Alphonse Elric! It's so gratifying to see you again!~~" Everyone shivered as sparkles and red roses flooded the room. Two muscular arms reached out and embraced the two brothers, nearly choking Ed to death. While this was all going on, Nick leaned over and whispered to Will.

"Who is he?" William's eyes became as wide saucers.

"You mean you haven't heard of him. That's major Alex Louis Armstrong!"

"Who?" Armstrong set down the brothers and looked over to the remaining two. His eyes widened in amazement.

"~~Well, what do we have here? New acquaintances! Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you!~~" Armstrong's booming voice itself nearly left cracks in the walls. He held out his arms to give them a big hug. Armstrong was coming in fast and there was little time to escape.

"Run!" Ed shouted, but he was too late…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"My precious bones!"

"Someone help!"

***xxxXxxx***

TILL NEXT TIME!

I have had major writer's block on this story and I am deeply sorry for leaving you, readers, "hanging". _(_ _)_ *bow* At last, I have been resurrected and have managed to complete this chapter! (It's been in the works for well over two weeks. Heh…) Anyways, thank you for reading.

ANYONE WHO REVIEWS RECIEVES A HUGE BEAR HUG FROM ARMSTRONG! :D ~


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own FMA…

***xxxXxxx***

After immense bear hugging and having been practically puked on with sparkles, Armstrong finally calmed down. He sat on the middle of the couch, making it bend, while dabbing at his eyes that were wet with his tears.

"Forgive my behavior. I was simply excited." He sniffled.

"Excited over what?" Edward sighed and rubbed his sore muscles. Armstrong did not hear him, but instead pulled something out of his pocket.

"These are for you." He handed each of them a ticket. "I originally bought five so the Colonel and Miss Riza could accompany us, but earlier I received word that they had departed on military business. Since there is two spare tickets, will you not join us, new friends?" Nicholas and William looked at each other then back at the Major who was giving them the famous "puppy dog eyes". It was hard to refuse him.

William shuddered and replied, "Sure; why not?" Armstrong smiled and gave him another hug, to Will's dismay.

Looking closer, Nick read the ticket. It was a showing of the Xingese performance arts. 'Hmm… This will be interesting.'

~.~

The Xingese shows were strange yet entertaining. Everywhere they looked bright colors flashed before their eyes. There was a fire eater in the corner. Various dancers roamed amongst the crowd. The group stopped to watch one of them. A girl ,who had to be fifteen, swayed to the music. She looked at Nick and smiled then winked. William elbowed the teen playfully.

"I think she likes you." Nick sighed and turned away.

"I don't care." With that, he walked away. William soon followed him along with the other three.

~.~

"Do you think we should head back to the hotel?" Alphonse turned to his brother. Edward looked around at the few people roaming through the dirt alleys.

"Probably; it's beginning to get dark. Sorry, Major, we have to go. We enjoyed spending time with you. We had fun!" Ed smiled and waved at Armstrong. He returned it kindly.

"I as well! Until next time." He left them.

~.~

The teenagers were passing the front gate when their ears were met with a shout. Looking back, they saw two Xingese men. One had long hair and the other looked like a very shaggy dog.

The one who looked fairly normal placed his hand on Nick's shoulder and grinned. The boy pulled back slightly.

"Hi there, Nicholas."

***xxxXxxx***

This is pretty short, but I just felt like ending it here. Sorry I just stop it where I believe there should be a climax. Who are these strange Xingese men and how do they know Nicholas!?

UNTIL NEXT TIME ON… The Black Abyss of Time!

(That sorta reminds of the ending of the D. gray-man episodes… O.O)


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own FMA…

Ed= past; Edward= future; Al= past; Alphonse= future.

***xxxXxxx***

"Who… Who are you?" Nick's eye brows furrowed within the shade of his hood. They continued to stare at each other for a number of minutes. The stranger kept wearing his shit eating grin while Nicholas displayed his confusion.

"Hmph! I thought you would recognize your own father!" He pouted as he crossed his arms.

"Dad!? What the hell is with that get up? And your skin color… why are you so dark?" The boy was shocked out of his wits along with William who stood behind him. "Your uncle and I had to go with disguises. It is the past after all."

"Ah! Right; sorry…"

"So he's your father, huh?" They turned around at the sound of the younger Ed's voice. He was smiling at Nicholas. "Good! Now, we're one step closer to getting you back home." His attention then focused on his future self. "So tell me, do you have any knowledge of alchemy whatsoever?"

Edward could only nod his head. He appeared to be in a small state of shock from seeing his younger self. "Ahem. Yes; I do. So does my brother, Albert. My name is Ethan. It's nice to meet you."

"That will be a great asset to getting you home. And it's a pleasure. I'm Edward Elric and this is my brother Alphonse." He pointed over his shoulder at Al. The suit of armor waved politely.

Ed walked down the hallway towards their hotel room. He sighed due to exhaustion. Researching various alchemic occurrences was tiring. They had been at it for weeks without rest. The only time any of them slept was when they actually decided to go to bed or if they dropped where they sat.

Ever since Nicholas had arrived on their door step, Ed had been befuddled from that point on. Craziness and curiosity overwhelmed him no matter what. He was dying to know who William and Nick actually were. He could sense that his brother felt the same way…

"Ah! William, what are you doing here?" The boy stood just a few feet before him. The person in question turned in surprise. Will smiled and held up a hand as to show greeting.

"Hello there, Ed." He held up a paper bag full of books. "I just came back from the library. The stubborn prick requested me to do so…" By "stubborn prick", he was probably referring to his emotionless friend.

"Oh… okay; I was just wondering." William turned back towards the room door. He was about to grab the handle when Ed spoke once more. "Uh. Will,"

"Yes?" He looked back at Ed.

"Just who are you and the others?" Ed furrowed his brow. "I know it's wrong to ask, but I'm so tempted that I can't stand it. Will you tell me?" A look of remorse draped over William's features, and he smiled.

"Well, I can tell you who I am, but… only if you keep it between us." Ed nodded then he leaned his forward.

"I swear, so please…"

"Alright then…" He leaned to whisper in his ear. He smirked at this point. "I'm your colonel bastard's son…" He then returned to his standing position and smiled. That was when he entered the hotel room all the while leaving Ed to stand there by himself. Ed's eyes were wide as he looked at Will's retreating figure. He gasped then began to whisper to Will.

"Hey, wait! Then who is Nicholas?" William turned to look at him. He held up a finger and began wagging it back and forth. "Nuh, uh, uh! That's a secret."

"He said what?" Al kept looking at his brother as he explained what happened. "Brother, why would you tell me that if you promised Will you wouldn't?" Inwardly, the younger brother frowned at Ed for going back on his word.

"But, Al, you're my brother. It's alright to tell you because I know you won't say anything. All we have to do is make sure that the other's from the future don't find out." He held his chin in the palm of his hand and leaned his elbow on his knee. "Now, I want to find out who the others are…"

"Brother, you never should have asked! Now, you're dying to know more, and if the others say anything to you, it will jeopardize the future. Forgive me for saying this, but you're an idiot!"

"Hey, Al, don't jump on me! If you were in my situation, you would do the same thing!" He placed both his hands on his thighs in anger.

"I am in your situation, and I did not say a thing! How could things be any different?"

"Well, you don't have my personality! Okay?"

"I still think it was stupid move on your matter, but I guess what's done is done…" He sighed and looked at the bed he was sitting on.

"Then you forgive me!?" Ed perked up at this notion.

"Not quite… You'll have to make up for it, though."

"Well, what do you want me to do? I'll do anything!" He grinned widely.

"Take me to the pet store and let me pet the kitties. Then were even." Ed's back jolted and he sighed in defeat. If Al started petting cats in the store, he would never leave, but there was no other choice. If he wanted to make up with Al, he had to do it.

"Fine then… but were not staying long." Suddenly, the door burst open. It was Edward in disguise.

"You two need to come see this!" Both of them followed him quickly. Everyone was surrounding Alphonse, who was sitting on the couch.

"What's going on?" Al asked in a worried manner. Alphonse held out the paper to them let them read it.

On the page, it had various pictures taken of a building with its roof caved in. They had passed the building several times as it was a local hot spot. The paper read that what some witnesses called a powerful force came down on the roof during the midafternoon. Two mysterious people appeared then disappeared in a matter of seconds.

Ed frowned, "What the hell?"

***xxxXxxx***

At last, I updated! I hope you like this chapter. I believe it might be longer than the past few chapters. YAY! :D Lately, I've been thinking that I might have my chapters too short, so it makes me happy to be able to write something a bit lengthy. Any ways, review!

~raingirl777


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